For Beijing art aficionados, X Museum, which positions itself as an ultra-contemporary art museum, is the go-to place for immersing themselves in the latest works of up-and-coming international artists by checking out their first China and even Asia solos.

Since its opening in 2020, the museum has staged solo exhibitions for internationally sought-after young artists such as Issy Wood, Christina Quarles, Antonio Oba, and Trey Abdella, to name a few.

Now bathing in the spotlight at the museum are the works of Kylie Manning and Alex Gardner, two American millennial artists who have come to the fore in the last few years.

Running until Feb 25, the showcase marks the debut solos in China for both artists.

Manning's solo "Sea Change" features the artist's most recent works, including a series of oil paintings and drawings, to showcase her ongoing exploration of the traditions of abstract painting and contemporary New Leipzig techniques, as well as her latest painting practice inspired by music and ballet.

Gardner's solo "Good Luck" brings together 15 artworks by the figurative painter over the past six years. Paintings on show highlight the artist's iconic style — entangled ink-black bodies draped with dramatically folding white cotton separates and posed in pastel environments where the reflections of color produce subtle gradients and thoughtful tonal shifts.

To the surprise of most viewers, the black people championed across Gardner's paintings are emotionally charged but are not granted any facial features. The artist admitted that he tackles the concept of blackness as a "kind of blankness" that encourages viewers to identify with the subject regardless of their race.

On display in tandem with the two solos is a multimedia exhibition showcasing "Cryptid", an X Virtual Incubator commission programme by British artist Joey Holder, who is known for creating multimedia installations that explore the relationship between humans and natural and technological forms.

At the artist's Beijing exhibition, curated by Wu Dongxue, she explores the limitations of Western scientific taxonomy through the lens of cryptozoology and research on plankton.

On view are an AR installation and a two-channel video showing layered footage from laboratory cameras and cryptozoology forums, set to an experimental electronic score by Ptwiggs. Visitors can also hop on the website of X Virtual (xvirtual.org) to explore the unknown, artistic territories of the sea.

X Museum has rolled out a new ticket policy. Visitors can choose to pay X yuan (any amount above 10 yuan) to view the above three exhibitions.

If you go:

11 am-6 pm, Monday to Friday; 11 am-8 pm, weekends and public holidays

X Museum, Langyuan Station, E1 (Building 10), No.53 Banjieta Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing

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